APGA saga: Matters arising

CRSIS, if one must reiterate, remains inescapable and inevitable in any human socio-political activity; it’s somewhat a natural phenomenon with some dickers of functionality attached to it.

Even Billy Dudley (1978:3) in his work Instability and political order: Politics and crisis in Nigeria, opined and acquiesced that: “Crisis should rather be seen as a necessary condition in the creation of political order and is intimately bound up with the process of modernization and political development.”

Furthermore, any crisis must essentially be an issue of discourse, with an accompanying and vital healing process that is anchored on the singular act of forgiveness, ‘Give and take’, that is.

Therefore, the legion of litigations and judicial proceedings currently playing out on this APGA discord do not give this only credible Igbo political platform any chance of survival and advancement, if not quickly and maturedly dispensed with.

A great deal of time, talent and treasure truly was deployed in nurturing and lifting APGA to the present height and acceptance amongst the Igbos and other progressives, and these efforts shall not be allowed to suddenly and unreasonably become futile, floppy and forlorn.

Going by the recent postulations and pontifications as pertaining to this current discontent in (he party, it has been revealed that the personages, pedigree and the penchant and the attendant personality cult of the troika of Dim Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, Governor Peter Obi and Chief Nwobu Alor provided and, in fact, practically supplied the needed fillip and followership that transformed APGA lo its enviable brand.

Not in the least forgetting however, the pioneering purvey and polishing of Chief Chiekwas Okorie before the bubble burst. It’s a fact too that the person of Chief Victor Umeh made a late entrance and strolled into prominence and influence under the auspices of the above mentioned pioneers.

Obviously, the untackled and unattended allegations of corrupt management, misappropriation and diversion of party funds and machinery leveled against the leadership of Umeh glaringly stirred this hornet’s nest and then the cacophony of clashes ensued.

Without sounding repetitive of the core issues involved and already in the public-domain, I submit that laying claim to a statutory right of office and tenure ship even with a dangling plethora of unquashed allegations of ineptitude, malappropriation and anti-party activities, which are at the core of such an office is simply bizarre, balderdash and in fact a bunkum! Unlawful and criminal acts quake, shake and erode the legitimacy and occupancy of any given office or position.

The cases of Dr. Chris Ngige and Dr. Andy Uba of the Anambra elections of the yore are instructive in this instance. Even when they purportedly won the elections and were duly sworn in, they were afterwards derobed and stripped of all the gubernatorial privileges and powers. Cases abound of similar descent into ignominy because the legitimacy and foundations ab initio were fraught with faults and facades. Also, all the PDP’s chairmen and by extension other parties chairmen accused of corruption and inefficiency never survived their tenures under any guise.

Nevertheless, the exit route to this macabre dance and charade in today’s APGA is simply easy and within reach. Let the embattled chairman, Umeh, who happens to be at the centre of the myriads of the accusations, for the sake of self survival and the party’s progress, step out from the reins of power in APGA so as to reposition and restructure it entirely. Of course, he can convoke a special congress in agreement with the stake holders; if he likes, he can install his surrogates where possible. But let him hasten up to leave the stage now so as to repolish his dented dignity and integrity.

The case of Prof. Barth Nnaji (former Minister of Power and Energy) is quite illuminating and illustrative of how decency and decorum should be show cased. When he was maligned and nearly messed up, he elected to jettison the plum powerful power portfolio and its perquisites thereto, to protect his hard-won dignity and reputation and to also move the Ministry forward.

That was a show of selflessness and a path of a purpose-driven personality. Same applies to Messers Jack Warner and Bin Hamman of the FIFA Fame.

They resigned amidst corruption allegations, with their integrity not marred, whilst keeping the organisation afloat and undiminished. Therefore, Umeh should take a cue from the cited eases above and disentangle this twist revolving around him so as to keep the APGA flag flying if his avowed and clichéd attachment to APGA is genuine.

Becoming litigious, egocentric and mischievously egotistic can only worsen this debacle. And in this regard, one condemns strongly his attack and ridicule of the interactive discourse initiated by Dr. Tim Menakaya and other party elders recently on the way forward.

Ruefully too, providing the opportunity for Chief Chekwas Okorie to laugh condescendingly and unendingly at this demeaning and distracting display of desperation on account of the recalcitrance of one individual, is not the appealing approach to remember his forced exit and stepping out from APGA where he (Chekwas) too toed a similar path.

If Umeh does the needful now, quickly and quietly too, only then would the memories of our revered Ikemba Ojukwu, the Ezeigbo Gburugburu be kept alive.

In addition, the philanthropic, magnanimous and generous backbone of Gov. Peter Obi, including his massive goodwill outlay and solid PR would always be guaranteed, whilst freely and intimately tapping from the elderly compass and reservoir of the pragmatic and pro-active and quintessential Nwobu Alor.

Mr. JOHN OKATTA, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Obosi, Anambra State.